Fear of Fours

lamb | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 27, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B00000JNMK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #661,523 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Three years elapsed between the U.K. release of Lamb's highly acclaimed debut and this CD, making fans of their moody trip-hop impatient. Does Fear of Fours deliver? Yes, but like many sophomore efforts, this one can't help but fall short of expectations. There is more of Lamb's full, emotional sound here, but while songs off the debut such as "Gorecki" and "Cottonwool" were beyond epic, most of the tracks on Fear of Fours merely get the job done. Where Louise Rhodes's vocals were near operatic, they are now more spoken wordish. And rather than complementing the lush orchestral instrumentation of partner Andy Barlow, the two more often collide. But there is beauty in chaos and nobody knows that better than Lamb. When Fear of Fours shines, it really shines. Take the drum & bass-influenced beat frenzy on "Ear Parcel" and the uplifting aria, "Fly." These alone are a testament to why so many fell for this Manchester duo in the first place. --Courtney Reimer

Product Description

Japanese edition of the Brit hop duo's 1999 & second album with three bonus tracks added, 'B Line' (Lamb Lounge Mix), 'Gorecki' (Global Communications Mix) and one hidden track that's listed only in Japanese (track #4). 16 tracks total. 1999 release. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An impressive follow-up, July 27, 2000

By 

Jewel (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fear of Fours (Audio CD)

'Lamb' burst onto the scene in 1996 when their self-titled album was released. Not only was it a brilliant album, but it establised Lamb (love the name!) as one of the best drum and bass/ trip-hop outfits around today. Their second album 'Fear of Fours' takes a slight departure from the first, with the songs sounding edgier in some instances and the beats more creative. There is a strong jazz-type influence on the album with numerous songs containing old jazz samples, as well as featuring a killer double bass. Vocally, the lead singer Lou sounds more distorted and eerie this time round, which contrasts to the melancholic sound of the first album. Nevertheless, her voice features brilliantly on tracks such as 'B Line', 'Lullaby' and 'Fly'. Argubly the best track on the album is 'B Line', as it incorporates numerous 'sounds' and 'noises' which totally enraptures you into the music. The double bass adds a real sense of sophistication and progression, and the pulsating chorus is simply brilliant.

Moreover, this is a most satisifactory second album, and it gets all the more better every time you listen to it.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blissfully Scenic, November 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Fear of Fours (Audio CD)

I suppose I'd consider myself a big trip-hopper. I've got Hoverphonic, Morcheeba, Massive Attack, Portishead, etc. (to name the more popular ones.)And I search Amazon a lot, yet this is the FIRST CD that I truly feel compelled to write a review about. I really really enjoyed Lamb's first CD, mostly because it took deep patience to listen a few times and then I was suddenly struck with the brilliance. The songs seemed to be layered- with only the vocals to unify the chaos. I like "Fear of Fours" even more, and this really surprised me. (Ya know, all that junk about Sophomore attempts and what-not.) Yet this CD is "better" in a sense. It is less chaotic. Not that the intense vocals and background aren't there, it is there but this CD feels more enchanting. It is more up-beat it feels more jungle than trip-hop. (AND I really hate labels..) I think this CD is "Scenic" because when I listen I can feel the music and hear her lyrics (which are rather good, and this fact throws the CD from a mere 4.5 to the 5 stars) but I can "see" the music too. It's as if all of my senses are being bombarded.

I wouldn't say that this was any easier to listen to. Similar to their first, I listened a bit distracted. And by the second time through, I heard the talent but wasn't quite sure if it was "A" material. (I grade my CDs, and I'm a pretty tough grader.) Well, several listens later, I assure you, it's an "A". This is not like Portishead. I understand how the comparisons come about, and I really have to disagree. "Portishead on acid" or something seems to be what everyone wants to get at. Lamb is truly original, on their own. Let's reverse it, can Portishead get Lamb comparisons? That seems unfair, and it's unfair because it is simply untrue. Melt with this CD, there is enough intoxicating depth and sultry moods to last several spins later....

25 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Music, disappointing vocals, October 11, 1999

By 

Marc Pottier "Natal, the SPARC Instruction Se... (Seattle, wa United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fear of Fours (Audio CD)

I was fortunate enough to see Lamb in concert in Seattle a few years ago during one of their tours. I was truely amazed at the quality of the singing and the incredible sound of their music. I immediately purchased their CD and became an instant fan.

I purchased fear of fours hoping for the same type of sound. The music is really incredible... it has the same incredible beats, the same modern sound... but something was missing. Some songs sound as through the vocal have been distorted. Rather than the beautiful soft voice that was in the debut album, the lead vocalists voice sounds shrill and harsh. It's too bad, because her voice was so absolutely beautiful and pure in the first album.

So... if you want a Lamb album, I recommend their first. This one just doesn't have the same musical quality.